Taste of a Nightmare
by waterloggedxx
Summary: Ryou lives the nightmare when Malik, the basketball jock, declares that he‘s got a job in Taste. Throw Thelma in and Ryou has one hell of a day.


**Taste of a Nightmare**

**Ryou lives the nightmare when Malik, the basketball jock, declares that he's got a job in Taste. Throw Thelma in and Ryou has one hell of a day.**

**Ssor - I hate job hunting. I just want a little part time job and I can't find one**

**Nworb - what happened to the galleries? Weren't you gonna get a job with Mazit! and at least you're old enough to get a job.**

**Ssor - only just. And I just can't imagine doing that, plus, yeaa working with Mazit! might be a bit problematic. Anyway, I should start this.**

**-the characters and things don't belong to me-**

**X**

"later Ry!" the dazzling white haired girl called, sprinting down the corridor in her ridiculously short pink skirt and matching Domino shirt that cut off at her tummy. Ryou couldn't understand why his sister suddenly found an attraction in cheerleading. "later Amane" he trailed off after her, shutting his locker and slinging his book bag over his shoulder. Off to work. _why the hell did I take that job?_ Speculation was suddenly cut short as a basketball player ran into him, knocking both boys to the floor.  
"there's gonna be a bruise there in the morning" Ryou commented under his breath, rubbing his left thigh "sorry" the other boy sounded less than guilty, throwing his hand out for to help Ryou up "it's fine" he grumbled, grabbing the hand and standing up, suddenly looking into the other boy's face.  
"Malik"  
The Egyptian smiled, handing Ryou his book bag, "yes, me, from your art class"  
"why are you running to get out of school so early?" he asked, raising one eyebrow and attempting to walk to the door.  
"I have to get to work, I just took a job at the smoothie bar" Ryou dropped his back, it landed with a thud at his feet. _you are actually, shitting me.  
_"you work there, don't you"  
Ryou nodded edgily, "yes, I do"  
Malik smirked noticing the others tight lips and restrained scowl, "walk with me, you can give me the once over"  
"I already have" chocolate orbs rolled in their sockets, "and I'm thinking you've never seen the uniform"  
"oh please" the tanned boy smiled, the light catching his features as they stepped outside, "I look good in anything, I'm a basketball player"  
"I can see" the other commented in a monotone voice, "you won't last five minutes in there"  
"and how long have you been in taste for wonder boy"  
Ryou shrugged, "three months, round about that"  
"sheesh, and you still have time for studying? And band"  
The pale boy blushed, looking at the ground nervously, "how did you know about band"  
Malik snorted, "please, you did the oboe solo…I recognise you, my sister was in the band last year"  
_just kill me now.  
_"tell me about yourself, bandie"  
"I'd rather not" "suit yourself" Malik tilted his head to the side and giggled, "you're such an emo band geek"  
"yup. That's what I am" he agreed wryly, really was pointless to fight back.

Malik's face just screamed humour when both boys had changed into Taste's uniform. Ryou strolled past happily, slapping the taller boy on the back, "good luck looking good in that"

It was an extremely long shift. Ryou, was usually standing around cleaning tables on a normal night, but today he had Malik to laugh at. For someone so popular, he sure wasn't doing too great a job.

The was a bang and the sound of smashing glass. Running towards the sound Ryou covered his mouth with his hand to muffle a laugh. The Egyptian boy was sitting in a puddle of mixed fruit, scowling at the sticky mess seeping into his trousers.  
"yea, that's gonna stain" Ryou warned jokingly, kneeling down and lapping the mess up with a cloth, "you really suck at this"  
"I know" his new colleague and old classmate sighed unhappily, "and I feel extra stupid now, I just, I can't work with things I don't know about"  
"I noticed" Ryou helped him up, noticing Thelma at the counter, "why are you so, different here than in school"  
"I just, am"  
"clean up" the boy ordered heartily, "gonna serve Thelma"  
"she's here?" he asked, but Ryou never heard, just smiled.

Mixing a blueberry smoothie, Malik watched as Ryou chatted away to his best friend. Thelma was hot, or so Malik thought, with her abstract fashion and tight jet curls.  
"so you're getting on ok with the jock?" she commented as said jock handed her the beverage.  
"he's not so bad, Malik, come meet Thelma"  
Ryou observed as his workmate shook his best friends hand, a blush rising to his tanned cheeks. Odd.  
"yea well, I'm gonna go sit over there" she stated to no one in particular.  
"right" Ryou turned, following Malik to the mixers where he continued to clean the mess he'd made previously. With his hands on his hips, Ryou tapped his left foot on the tiles, "you like my best mate"  
"who, her, no" Malik stuttered, pivoting round to find himself up close to Ryou, "gah, get out my face! I don't like her"  
"you totally do" the shorter boy snickered, mixing up a peach smoothie, "you dig her…and I think I can help you talk to her"  
"why would you do that"  
Ryou slung his shoulders, "because you're hopeless. I just don't understand, you're so confident, and popular in school. Here you're the complete opposite"  
Malik furrowed his brow, "well thanks" he answered moodily, "I'm not a cliché you know"  
"I figured when I saw you trip over yourself"  
"you know" Malik smiled slightly, "you aren't like I thought you'd be either…you're a lot more sadistic than you are cute and emo"  
The boy let out a faint laugh, "that's a compliment, right"  
"right…so, what are you planning? To get Thelma to talk to me"  
Cunning brown eyes met confused lavender irises. Shoving a passion fruit smoothie in the basketball player's hands, Ryou smirked, "give her this, it's her favourite. Ask her what kind of music she's into, but whatever you do don't pretend to know what it is if you don't, because she will end up dragging you to a gig and they do walls of death all the time"  
"what's a wall of death?" he looked so puzzled, Ryou couldn't help put laugh.  
"exactly. Just go give this to Thelma and, be yourself"  
Malik nodded and shakily walked towards the girl's table. On the placing of the smoothie on the surface, she looked up and unplugged her MP3.  
"oh hey basketball boy, this for me?"  
He nodded, avoiding her questioning green eyes "thanks"  
"it's free" he stuttered, "says Ryou"  
Thelma giggled and took a sip, "and are you getting on well with mister melancholy"  
"he's not what I expected…do you like basketball"  
The boy inwardly slapped himself, of all the things he could have said and didn't, Ryou'd be rolling around laughing.  
"it isn't bad"  
Her answer stunned him back to reality.  
"I think it's, ok"  
"you're on the team" the girl laughed, "it has to be better than ok"  
"well, ok, it's my passion" he admitted, running a hand through his hair gingerly.  
"music's mine, but, not like Ryou's taste" she projected her little pink tongue.  
"you and Ryou don't have the same taste"  
"oh hell no, we're nothing alike! He likes arty things and is a total brain, I'm just sort of"  
"obscure"  
She shook her head humorously, "thanks. I like you, you're funny, you should hang out with Ryou and me sometime"  
Malik blushed, "I'm sure he'd love that"  
"oh c'mon, he'd love it, another guy to hang with!" she punched his left shoulder gently, picking up her smoothie, "well, catch ya later! Later Ry!" "yea, see ya Thelms"  
"she said we can hang out some time!" Malik was practically squealing like a girl, leaping into Ryou's unsuspecting arms, toppling them both to the floor.  
"I'm gonna have a bruise there in the morning" the whitenette groaned.  
"de ja vu!" Ryou slapped his head, "it's like, having two Jou's around"  
"well get used to it, because I'm gonna be here a looong time, so, you think my odds are good for hooking Thelma"  
The other sighed sarcastically and stood up, "I'll tell you what I think after you get me a smoothie"  
"yea alright" _life's just gonna get a lot more hellish isn't it?_

**X**

**Ssor - that was really short. And quite pointless, but ah wells, just a little something.**


End file.
